Original artwork, not a still
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ‧ 1997
Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Malfoy borrows the idiom of wealth to insult Neville's intelligence and the Weasleys' poverty in one breath, which makes it a compact picture of his snobbery. It is also the moment Neville first answers back, small though that is. Because the film left it out, many fans know it only from the book or from quote lists, where it is shared as a ready-made put-down.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneShow the scene
The line comes in chapter 13, "Nicolas Flamel", of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), during Gryffindor's Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, refereed by a plainly biased Snape. In the stands, Draco Malfoy needles Ron about the Weasleys' lack of money, then turns on Neville Longbottom, saying the Gryffindor team picks people it feels sorry for. Neville answers that he is worth twelve of Malfoy, and this is Malfoy's reply. Ron and Neville then pile into Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle just as Harry dives for the Snitch and ends the game in about five minutes.
Sources (2)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, chapter 13 (Internet Archive scan)Chapter 13, Nicolas Flamel, the Gryffindor v Hufflepuff matchReference checked
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, shooting script (Internet Archive, 2001)whole script, searched for the phrasesReference checked
Context reviewed
